Many architects rely on in-person collaboration with other architects and emerging professionals at architecture firms, but as technology evolves, remote work opportunities continue to increase. If you're pursuing your architecture license or are supervising a licensure candidate, you might be wondering how the concept of remote supervision intersects with the Architectural Experience Program's® (AXP®) direct supervision requirement. The short answer is: direct supervision can be performed remotely—read on to learn more about remote work and the AXP.

Remote Work and the AXP

There are no requirements that supervisors and their respective licensure candidates must be in the same physical space to count as “direct supervision” under the AXP. In fact, NCARB has allowed direct supervision of remote work to qualify for AXP credit since 2010. This includes work performed as a "traditional" W-2 employee or as a contract employee. 

Direct Supervision

"Direct supervision” of an AXP participant must occur either through any combination of personal contact and remote communication, as long as the supervisor maintains control over a candidate’s work and has sufficient professional knowledge to determine the competency of their performance.

Remote Supervision

So how can AXP supervisors maintain control and knowledge when their candidates are not in the same location? As an AXP supervisor, you are most likely aware of your candidate’s capabilities—having identified areas where they are strong and where they may need improvement. You likely know who can follow through on an assigned task independently, versus who will need more oversight and guidance. When working in person, this distinction might not matter as much, since quick conversations and interactions can happen easily—but remote work can make this more challenging. In addition, incidental engagements, like overhearing conversations that provide context or feedback, become less likely. That’s why we encourage our supervisors to set up times for these intentional learning opportunities and open conversations to occur—ensuring your candidates can continue to build trust and the competency they’ll need to work independently. 

How to Support Candidates Remotely

To help your candidate build their competency while working remotely, consider these tips:

Schedule recurring virtual meetings
To create an opportunity for questions to arise, small talk to happen, and planning to take place, consider creating a schedule for office-wide, project-based, and one-on-ones meetings. Keep in mind, it is best for all of these meetings to be done through a video platform (as opposed to a simple phone call) as video allows everyone to observe the non-verbal cues that happen during conversations.

During virtual meetings with your candidates, you should take time to:

  • Establish regular meeting schedules with each candidate you supervise. As a note, you should aim to reschedule as little as possible. If you do need to reschedule a meeting, move it within 24 hours of the original time. Repeatedly postponing meetings may send your candidate the wrong message.
  • Ask questions that require a reflective or explanatory answer. For example, “What have you felt most/least confident in doing this week?” “What resources are you using to help complete this task?” “Are there any tasks you need me to provide more coaching or explanation for?”
  • Discuss specific, recent examples of work situations or tasks. Use virtual platform tools such as white boards, screen sharing, etc., to view work as you discuss it.
  • Talk about more than work-related topics. Light-hearted chit-chat can assist in creating an open space for your candidates to feel heard and help build trust in your relationship.
  • Review their AXP progress and discuss AXP tasks to assess your candidate’s competency level and build a plan to help them earn their license.
  • Create a plan or strategy for professional development based on upcoming opportunities.

Encourage and maintain healthy work schedules
Working from home can easily blur the lines between you and your candidate’s personal and work lives. Each person will need to find the right balance that suits their own needs and effectiveness. Support your candidate’s search for work/life balance and honor their boundaries. Consider focusing on work products rather than timeframes and hours in a day. 

Engage in online conversations
Does your office use an application to facilitate the exchange of quick conversations? Do you use Slack, Google Hangout, Jabber, Skype, Yammer, etc.? All of these tools can be a great way for your candidate to conveniently ask you and the whole project team or office questions as they arise, and vice versa. On Slack, you can create channels for small talk, sharing current life events and experiences, and ultimately stay connected.

It may also be helpful for everyone to agree upon shared expectations on how these communication tools should be utilized, including the type of messages and speed of responses. Lastly, don’t just assume everyone has a shared understanding—it is always helps to be explicit about purpose and needs right from the start.

No matter where you find yourself working, remember to always be inclusive and open, and create opportunities to allow for social engagement to build trust and a strong sense of community.